A Tribute to South African construction workers

CONSTRUCTION is a physically challenging and demanding industry requiring much physical work in the elements, long working hours and often more than a five-day week, employment on a “contract” or even “trade on a contract” basis.

Furthermore, it is often transient in nature, which adds to the challenges due to working away from home and family.

In terms of construction, regardless of how menial an activity or task may be, it is an integral part of a project. In terms of cost, over-excavation for column bases can result in excessive concrete wastage and financial loss. In terms of quality, placing of concrete requires proper compaction to avert segregation and “honeycombing”, and the compromising of quality and schedule requirements.

In terms of client and principal agent satisfaction upon “handover”, clean floors and windows are important. Therefore, although excavating manually, placing concrete, and cleaning floors and windows may be deemed menial activities by uninformed industry participants, they are key activities that require skills, hence, there is no such term as an “unskilled” worker.

Consequently, at the very least, the term “general” worker should be used, which category often assist semi-skilled and skilled workers. Furthermore, there is the health, safety, and well-being (HSW) parameter, which requires the elimination or mitigation of hazards and risks arising from excavating, placing concrete, and cleaning floors and windows.

Although, there are proponents that wax lyrical regarding using the construction industry as “an engine for growth” through, among others, creating employment, and “labour-intensive” construction, the issue is the nature of the jobs created, and the impact of such jobs on the HSW, and sustainability of the workers undertaking them.

Consider undertaking the range of construction activities and tasks for eight plus hours per day for at least a five-day week for 240 working days per year for a 40-year-plus working life — “wear and tear” takes on a new dimension! Consequently, globally, construction must re-engineer itself in terms of materials and methods, plant and equipment, and technology used. Although the proponents of Industry 4.0 technologies view such technologies as the panacea for most construction challenges, they will not replace workers.

The three pillars of sustainability, namely economic issues, environmental issues, and social issues, further amplify the need for re-engineering construction to ensure that it survives, let alone is sustainable. Economic issues include profitability, wages and benefits, resource use, labour productivity, job creation, human capital, and expenditure on outsourcing. Environmental issues include the impact of processes, products, and services on air, water, land, biodiversity, and human health, including workers’ health.

Society issues include workplace HSW, community relations, employee retention, labour practices, business ethics, human rights, and working conditions. Therefore, it is important for the construction industry to consider and balance financial, social, and environmental benefits and needs within the life cycle of construction. The construction industry should note that it entered a new era, largely unknown, which entails a focus on sustainability in its broadest sense.

The sustainability of construction, including workers, is impacted by all stakeholders. Clients and/or principal agents must deliberate on the appropriateness of project durations to ensure that they are achievable. Designers must deliberate on their designs, details, and specifications to ensure that they are constructable and do not entail hazards and risks.

Quantity surveyors must prepare informed, realistic budgets that do not result in "cost-cutting" interventions that result in unintended consequences. Procurement processes must result in the appointment of competent contractors and subcontractors that have the requisite resources to complete projects. Contractors, in turn, must make the requisite allowances in every respect such that the sustainability of their workers is assured.

The physical construction process is undertaken by workers in an environment created by clients, principal agents, designers, and contractors. Furthermore, in terms of the workplace, workers are “customers” of managers and supervisors and must be respected. Respect entails appropriate labour practices, addressing of HSW, working conditions, wages and benefits, training, development, re-deployment of older workers, retention, recognition, and community relations.

Lastly, workers invariably have a partner, a family, and are from a community. Therefore, the value "people are our most important resource", is a prerequisite for realising "respect for workers".

* Professor John Smallwood is a professor of construction management at Nelson Mandela University.

** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media, or IOL.